Loyal
by pastelshadows
Summary: She finally let the tears she'd been holding for four years fall.  Yes, Annabeth Chase was loyal. Oneshot.


**A/N: Hi! Just a oneshot. Tell me what you think! I loooove reviews.**

Loyal

A child of Athena's fatal flaw was supposed to be hubris; excessive pride or self-confidence was the dictionary definition. Annabeth Chase was a whole different story. Instead of being a stuck-up snob like most children of Athena were, seeing her best friend die in war had changed her completely. She learned to value her friends.

Right about now, she could swear her fatal flaw was loyalty to friends.

She and Rachel Elizabeth Dare, one of her most unexpected friends gained over the past year, were sitting in the attic of the Big House. It was just another afternoon lazing off and, in Annabeth's case, skipping archery class. It _would've _been a normal day if Percy hadn't stuck his head through the trapdoor and timidly – unlike him, Annabeth noticed – asked to talk to Annabeth alone.

Rachel waggled her fingers in a goodbye as Annabeth climbed down, but Annabeth could see the sadness behind that smile.

To cut a long story short, Percy, through a lot of stuttering and looking at his feet, Percy managed to find the guts to ask Annabeth out. Annabeth's initial reaction was relief, that she hadn't been waiting three years for nothing. And then confusion: she valued her friends more than anything in the world. What if something went wrong? She and Percy could never be the same. Plus, she was having a hard time forgetting the fact that Rachel still liked Percy, after all this time.

So, she lied, and it was the lie that changed her life. Reflecting on it now, in Rachel's dressing room, she couldn't remember exactly what she'd told him, but then again she remembered how Will Solace, from the Apollo cabin, never was able to ride his canoe straight after that.

Thankfully, turning him down didn't affect Percy and Annabeth's friendship. He bounced back as lively as ever the next day; he didn't mention it. Annabeth was eternally grateful for it, too. Rachel pestered Annabeth to know what Percy had wanted. Annabeth lied. She said he wanted to ask her something about … whatever excuse she had made up. She was sure if Rachel knew, she'd still be hurt. She figured she still had a chance with Percy.

Annabeth was secretly grateful for the whole oracle-thing. In some ways, being the Oracle was just as binding as being a hunter; both kinds weren't allowed to date. Annabeth thanked Apollo every night for his weird rules.

So just as it was running smooth and Rachel had almost gotten over Percy, _she_ showed up.

She didn't come on her own; she was with a couple of demigods and a satyr – two kids of Eris and Grover's boy. They had found _her _at the school they were in. She looked nothing special, surely; bland face, average height, brown hair, brown eyes. She was the most normal thing, really, that could be found. She drew into herself, wasn't talkative, and liked reading, especially mystery books.

But Alexia was a mortal, and she could see through the Mist.

The satyr, Trevor, supposed she was _The One_. Rachel had been getting warnings from Apollo for the past few days that it would be soon time for her to step down and let someone else claim the job of Oracle. So they gave Alexia a try. It all happened – the scream, the flash of green light, the curling up on the floor. They weren't sure whether the spirit of the Oracle had taken over. Annabeth hoped it didn't. Then she stood up, clutched her stomach; her eyes glowed green and she began talking in three different voices, claiming what was for dinner that night.

Alexia was the new Oracle. Rachel Elizabeth Dare was free.

That night Annabeth and Percy sat by the ocean. Annabeth brought up the subject that bothered her the most.

'So now Rachel isn't the Oracle, she's … she's free, isn't she?'

'It depends on what you're talking about,' Percy shrugged, skipping a stone into the water and watching it leap. He was being very nonchalant about the whole thing, but Annabeth assumed it was just an act.

'She's free … to date, now, right?'

Percy turned to her, his expression never changing. 'I dunno,' he said. 'I guess so. Hey, wanna have a skipping stones competition?'

'We don't need Alexia to know you'll win,' Annabeth grumbled, but picked up a stone anyway. That was the last time they ever had that conversation.

Rachel had no place at camp anymore, and despite Annabeth's tight friendship with her, she wished that she would go. She had no idea what would happen now.

But Chiron, ever the nice horse, gave her a place of honor in the Big House, and she was free to come to camp every summer if she wished; even year-round. Rachel decided to stay summers only, but that summer she couldn't stay, much to Annabeth's delight. She needed to finish off her semester at Clarion Ladies' Finishing School.

When Rachel came back the next year, Annabeth decided that the "finishing" in "Clarion Ladies' Finishing School" stood for the finishing of Annabeth's life.

She still talked the same. She still laughed the same, she still made the same jokes, and she was still Rachel Elizabeth Dare. But she was infinitely more graceful. Her smile wasn't lopsided, she sat straight, and the way she walked looked like floating. In about three minutes, Travis and Connor Stoll were sword-fighting to see who would get the first shot. It wasn't much different for most of the boys at camp, either.

That, sadly, included Percy Jackson.

He wasn't outright about it, but Annabeth saw it. The way he watched her, the way he smiled when she was around, the way his voice was softer when he talked to her; they were all signs. And Annabeth could only sit back and watch.

It was like Rachel was charmspeaking him, really, although it only worked for daughters of Aphrodite – Rachel was mortal. Annabeth was beginning to be suspicious, actually, of whether she was an angel or something. There was no way Percy could be so captivated after one summer at some snotty little school.

Annabeth's thoughts were bitter, but she couldn't lose two friends. Every day in the morning she put on her smiling façade, turned up the happy meter, and bounced outside in the epitome of happiness. It tore her apart inside.

Annabeth experienced heartbreak for the very first time when Rachel came running up to her, her eyes shining, declaring that Percy had asked her out to dinner. Annabeth discovered, that day, just what an excellent actress she was. She did the squealing, the jumping, the I'm-so-happy-for-you speech; the works. She sat in the Aphrodite cabin as Rachel got a full makeover; she walked with Rachel to the demigod diner she was supposed to meet Percy at; she watched with a fake smile as Percy's eyes lit up when he saw Rachel; she walked home empty.

It had never been this bad. Not when her dad basically kicked her out of her own home, not when Luke betrayed them, not when she thought Percy was gonna die in the volcano. Never.

Sometimes she wondered at night, when she was allowed to break through the happy mask, whether it would hurt less to cut herself off from them. On especially bad days, she considered it very thoroughly, but no matter how much her heart was aching, she could imagine a life without Rachel and Percy, together or separated.

She regretted it. She regretted saying no that very first time. She thought it was the right thing to do, sure; but now, curling Rachel's hair, she wondered whether she and Percy's friendship never being the same was such a tough price to pay for happiness. She hadn't been truly happy in years.

Building Olympus was what kept her sane. When she immersed herself in her work, drawing buildings and building buildings and being an architect, she was almost content. That's why she threw herself so hard into her work. That's why she drifted away from the world for a while rising Olympus from the ashes. That's why Olympus had never looked better.

That's why she decided to take a break from camp for a while, only visit about a week every two months, to start a mortal life, with a mortal job.

That's why when she quit work four years later and returned to camp, there was a ring on Rachel's finger.

She was a hollow shell, but still she strived to keep up the act. She spent days working on the wedding with Rachel – naturally, she was the best architect at camp – and she fell apart at night, wondering whether her life would ever be whole again.

It was a small ceremony, with only about twenty mortal friends and twenty demigod friends there. Poseidon and Apollo, of course, were present in their human forms. Annabeth was the maid of honor, and Grover was the best man. Annabeth sat in Rachel's dressing room as Rachel fussed over her dress.

'Does it look fine?' Rachel said anxiously, smoothing down the floaty white dress for the millionth time that hour.

'It's amazing,' Annabeth said. 'Percy thinks you look gorgeous whatever you wear.' This was observed with a hint of remorse, but Rachel didn't seem to notice it. If she did, she let it slip.

Mr. Dare poked his head around the door. 'It's time, Rachel,' he said gruffly, straightening his tie. He never really liked Percy; too much trouble, in his opinion. Annabeth silently agreed with him.

'Wish me luck,' Rachel whispered as Annabeth stood up.

'Good luck,' Annabeth said robotically. Like she needed it.

Annabeth walked out of the dressing her with a sweet smile on her face, taking Grover's arm and walking down the aisle. She ducked her head as the crowd cheered; she had never been one for the spotlight. She took her place to the left of where Rachel was going to stand.

She wasn't focusing as Rachel walked down the aisle, drawing gasps from the audience. It would only hurt more. She kept her eyes firmly on her silvery ballet flats while the preacher made his speech.

Cheers erupted from the audience as the preacher declared, 'You may now kiss the bride.' Still Annabeth didn't look up. She took deep breaths through her nose to stop from hyperventilating. Only when she saw the bouquet being thrown did she look up, and automatically catch it. Rachel winked as she ran over to hug Annabeth, whispering 'Thank you' in her ear.

Maybe she did know what Annabeth had done for her.

Once she had given Rachel her congratulations, she disappeared through the tent and walked outside down to the beach. She finally let the tears she'd been holding for four years fall.

Yes, Annabeth Chase was loyal.

**So, sad ending. :( I still love reviews! Flames will be used to make smores.**


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